Searching but for what? (OPEN!)

[Jack]

OOC: Thread is intended for Tobias Ross and me but please feel free to enter the more people the better =)

IC:

Time of thread is a few weeks before the events which occured here please keep that in mind for future role playing

Jack was lurking through abandoned buildings his shotgun hanging loaded and loose by his side, his cleaver in hand. He would always watch his six, and never rush around a corner. Just recently he had been shot nearly to bits by a guy protecting his loot for the day. Of course Jack hit the deck and waited until nightfall before moving off again, when he proceeded to flanking the male and slitting his throat in the middle of the night. The goods he took from his corpse were invaluable and would go a long way to securing the safety of his companions for a few more days.

Knowing full well that the risks of scavenging were high but so were the rewards Jack proceeded through the building. Trading could only get you so far but it too carried it's own set of risks, if you traded in unsecured locations you risked getting raided by rival competitor sometimes people charged you large amounts just to trade in the so called "secured" locations. Then of course the risk of Barker's men storming in at any time and either arresting or executing you on the spot was a risk in it's own right. It is therefore why it had been left up to Jack and a select few to go out, scavenge for supplies and trade.

[Rina Vade]

The buildings were eerie and deathly silent, so being light on ones feet would be worth it here if they found something of value. However, Rina needn't worry about people hearing her when she was up in the crumbling rafters. A bit unstable, yes, but she could manage. The inside of most of the buildings had fallen through, exposing the support beams, which she used as her main routes. On the ground, debris covered the floors. Her eyes scanned the dusty, moldy concrete and wood, though she had yet to find anything. On her back, she'd strapped a long bo, just in case.

There were quiet footsteps.

Rina paused, half-crouched. She'd been about to leap across a rotted beam to a better, more stable one when the figure of a man appeared below. Silently, she jumped, reaching out to grab the nearest beam, instead of landing and rolling as she had intended on a flat platform-like plank of wood.

The beam was good. It had not dry-rotted and was not splintering, but it was Rina's grip that went unsteady. With the presence of someone below distracting her, her hand slipped from the rafter. "Shit!" she gasped, twisting to try and land on another beam. There was one below her. Unfortunately, she landed with her side facing the plank and she hit the beam with enough force to knock the wind out of her.

It was inevitable that the person knew she was here now.

[Jack]

If there was one thing in the world Jack hated it was being sneaked up on. For two valid reasons, firstly if you were sneaking up on him you could only mean him harm and the second more important reasons if you could sneak up on Jack you were not only dangerous but also exposed his incompetence. A mercenary like himself hates being incompetent above all else, if he is unable of completing his mission what value is he.

As he heard the crash above and behind him Jack cursed spinning around, he pulled his shotgun out in front of him aiming it right at the large plank of wood.

The girl was on her side, he could see the edge of wood above him. Instead of shooting and alerting any possible friends or foes around the area. Jack placed his shotgun back between the straps of his kit and kicked out a support beam from under Rina.

Rina wouldn't have known it was Jack as he was covered in bandages still however once she looked at his face, she would more or less have an idea. Possibly if she could remember what he used to wear she would recognize his two of a kind Urban Angels leather jacket but apart from that there was nothing on him to give himself away.

If Rina fell down Jack would hold his cleaver to her throat "What are you doing lurking around behind me".

[Rina Vade]

Something about the guy had seemed familiar to Rina, but she’d no time to contemplate that as she felt the beam kicked out from under her. She fell, twisting like a cat in midair to land on her feet, crouched, frozen when she realized there was a blade at her throat.

“What are you doing lurking around behind me?”

The voice sounded familiar, too. Still trying to catch her breath, Rina replied through gritted teeth, “Same as you; looking for useful things.” she shifted uncomfortably, her side throbbing, afraid to stand, lest he think she’d attack. Which of course, she wouldn’t. She wasn’t that stupid. “Though I wasn’t really lurking behind you. I was using the rafters, and I fell.” she left out the part that it was because he’d entered the room that she had been distracted enough to fall.

Glancing at his face from the corner of her eye, Rina tried to remember who it was behind the bandages.

"Did you...used to go to the school...?"

[Jack]

"Did you...used to go to the school...?"

*blink*

Jack retracted his blade, and crouched down, so he was eye level with Rina. He was sure banking on a lot that she wouldn't attack him. "Do I know you?" He glared at her face, she did seem familiar but he couldn't remember from where. But what did she mean by the school, Jack had attended three similar schools, #552 in New York, #774 and #259 here in California. Is is possible that she was at the same school in New York? For he did not remember her from his time here in California. Jack couldn't pin point her face, it must have been due to the severe memory loss as a consequence of his head injuries.

He could not see any features of the girl that jogged his memory, she seemed like a regular girl. Small but tall for a woman, quite slim although he couldn't be fore sure (in the event she was wearing a coat etc) just a regular looking girl to him. As for Jack his whisker tattoos were still present on his cheeks although seriously faded by now. Not to mention he was still a haunting figure, standing a six foot something and well over a hundred kilos. His time in the front line has made him bulk up, having to sometimes go without heat or cold food increased that previously near none existent layer of fat to a nice plumper size.

Although you could say that Jack had just physically matured.

[Rina Vade]

Rina hadn't been expecting him to drop down to her level, and so ended up sitting on her knees when she instinctively drew back some.

"Do I know you?"

The question was the exact same one she was thinking. He studied her, and she could tell he thought her familiar, too. The bandages around him told her one thing: he'd gotten head trauma, and she was guessing there were things he might've forgotten. The hard look of his gaze reminded her of where she'd seen him. "No..." she began slowly. "We don't really know each other, but we went to the same school. Here. Number 259. I've seen you fight. You're..." she hesitated, face red, and seemingly embarrassed at her own words. "Really good."

Not sure what else to do, she carefully stood up, revealing that her black jeans and tank top clung to a very slim form, but with slight muscle definition beneath her pale skin.

However, she'd grown not only physically, but mentally as well.

Her QI allowed her the ability of an Emipath, and other, strange powers of the mind. For now, she kept herself in check, not wanting to intrude on the man's consciousness. "My name is Rina, by the way." she shrugged. "Most just call me Rin."

[Tobias Ross]

OoC: Here goes. Lol. Btw, this post is from another character's point of view.

IC: The man ran for his life. Ducking through holes and leaping through windows. Terror was written across his face as he fled. A monster pursued him and he knew that his time was running out. He would have to get some distance before the creature found him. It had appeared from nowhere and seemed like easy prey. That was how it lured his group to it before it shredded them apart. He could still hear his friend's screams as they were cut down by he demon behind him. Even his boss who was rightly feared as the strongest in the area was no match compared to the monster. It was as if a child challenged a hurricane.

Ducking into a broken building, the man crawled through the wreckage and tried to hide in it. The man was holding onto the hope that the darkness would cover him enough that he could escape the monster that hunted him. As the moonlight peeked through the clouds ever so slightly, he thought of the rumors of a monster that wore fine clothing. They said that it was both well-mannered and vicious. It would only pretend to be a gentleman to get close. It was silent as the night, it walked so lightly that not even dust would be disturbed when it came for it's victims. The most horrible rumor was that had a mouth filled with razor sharp fangs and would drain your body of blood for it's gruesome meal.

They called it a vampire, but those weren't real. Were they? The man's blood ran cold as he saw a sight that he had hoped he would never see again. The monster had found him and was walking straight toward him. As the monster entered the broken building and smiled wickedly at him, the man screamed in fear. It found him.

[Jack]

OOC: Hey TB I'm assuming you're not the "vampire" if you are I'll edit a few things but the general post will be the same.

IC:

Jack's stone like gaze, was always on Rina, his eyes never left hers. He was a monster deep down he knew that. She was small but she was alive and people who survived in this world shouldn't be underestimated. Who was he kidding, he underestimated everyone he met because he was an idiot and the only reason he wasn't being aggressive was because he found this girl attractive. At least it was a change from the old hag (the nurse) and that snotty noised girl who always dawdled at his feet.

If Rina decided to tune into his emotions, she would feel a great many walls, it was raw emotion, nothing hiding it. She may even be scared at the twisted nature of his soul. Jack had always been a simple person, he liked nice things, and above all else he craved for power. He wanted to be the strongest with no idea what to do with his strength once he got there. He had survived countless battles to the death, had fought for and against tyrants. The damage to his emotions however was catastrophic.

OOC: Please skip over this bit if you don't want to read it, it's just explaining some of Jack's emotional blocks as well as the effects of his memory loss. The last paragraph before my next OOC section applies to you Rina.

IC:
He had experienced something similar to torture for the last 6 months, on his road to recovery. While he could remember a lot of things he had also forgotten much. His type of head trauma was something that built up over time, so his recent history he more or less remembered as flawlessly as he had before his accident. However his years as a child were all but fading and fading fast. He forgot how his first love Mitsuki looked, all he had to remember her was the L shaped scar carved into his flesh somewhere. Lexi one of the few people who had loved him for him.

She was beautiful but also extremely strong and dangerous, she had given Mitsuki a similar scar for different reasons, while the L shaped scar on Mitsuki's wrist was a symbol of dominance of Lexi over Mitsuki. His scar was a symbol of commitment, he had left his own mark, what it was he can not remember but he remembered performing his brand. Maybe it was a J (for Jack) or a W (for wolf).

At the time there were four important people in his life, Mitsuki, Lexi, Conrad and Stein. At times he found it hard to remember what they had looked like other times his memory was so clear. But there was a fifth, a child, he had given Lexi and Conrad he most prized possession his cross which was given to him by his Grandma on her death bed. It had meant the world to him and he had given it to her to pass onto their baby boy. To protect him and to remind them of a man who would die for them. His heart began to ache at the memory of his lost friends, he had killed children but never an infant the boy would have been four or five by now but to him he was still a new born. For a moment Jack felt like he was going to have a heart attack. His visions came back, they were humanoids."Mmm yes, yes, You know what you have to do. Do it now!" If Rina had decided to use her abilities at that point she would feel a completely foreign emotion emitting from Jack it was inside him but it did not belong to him.

OOC: Okay now I'm back to Rina and Jack

IC:

Before he could be overcome by grief and pain Jack was brought back to reality, "No..." she began slowly. "We don't really know each other, but we went to the same school. Here. Number 259. I've seen you fight. You're..." Yes? he thought ""Really good." A compliment. For all his bark Jack had relatively no bite when you stroked his ego. He just like the most vicious dog would roll over and let you scratch his belly. Jack had blinked for the first time since he had crouched down onto her level. His eyes had been locked onto hers, if she had turned away he wouldn't have known as he was in his trance of grief.

"My name is Rina, by the way." Rin.. Rin... do I know that name? It doesn't sound familiar. Of course not, you never cared much for names just what was between their thighs. That is why you're weak! You allow yourself to be ruled by your instincts like a dog goes after a bitch on heat. Your desire to murder, to taste blood has slackened! That is why all you're good for is to survive, you fuck and you survive that is all. And to think I made you a Dragon "Most just call me Rin."

"My name is Jack, Jack O'Connor. I've had a few titles in my years, most notable would be the Sonic Dragon and The Wolf of #552... Wh."

The Australian was cut off by a scream in the adjacent room, he instantly jumped up, not completely but enough to grab a hold on Rina's clothes. He would pull her down with him, if he had grabbed her jeans he would most likely have grabbed her around the waist, if her tank top well that might have torn under his grip, what he grabbed he wasn't sure. "Get down!" Jack spoke in a low but harsh voice. Pulling out his gun, he thrust it into her hands, reaching into his pocket he placed down in front of her several spare shells. It was all he had left. Five shots.

"Listen, we both know what will happen to a women who is captured in this world, if I don't make it I want you to use that and get away from here. Kill them or kill yourself I don't care if you get cornered but under no circumstance come between me and my kill I can handle myself and I don't want you to cheapen my victory. However big or small the game is"

If all had gone to plan Jack would under his scavenging kit and prowl toward the open door that lead into the next room. Clear in hand Jack moved over rubble with military precision, his years of martial arts had conditioned his footing and balance to be near perfect. It was slow but silent, especially for a man of his size.

When Jack got to the door, if Rina had followed and not taken his pack and gun or shot him in the back and fled Jack would peer into the room. Turning around he motioned to Rina, sticking his two fingers up into the air and mouthed "two". Moving into the room Jack stood up straight, he obscured the men's view of Rina who was behind him and safe... for now.

[Rina Vade]

It wasn't as if she liked intruding on people's emotions and minds, but Rina just couldn't help herself. She reached out with her mind and was startled to find the raw emotions that battered at her as if from behind a glass wall. To be set free...

She was also surprised to sense that he was attracted to her.

One didn't think to much on those things in the world these days. Finally, she got a name from him. Jack. And of course! Sonic Dragon! Yes, that had been what everyone called him. Suddenly, there was a scream, and Rina instantly looked up to the rafters, about ready to leap up where she felt most safe.

"Get down!"

Jack ended up clutching her around the waist, keeping both of them out of view as a shadow passed through the doorway. In the next moment, Rina found his gun in her hands, five shells placed in front of her. She scooped them up and swiftly loeaded the gun, and then made sure the safety was on as she held it tightly in her left hand, her right itching to reach back and grab her long bo.

"Listen, we both know what will happen to a women who is captured in this world, if I don't make it I want you to use that and get away from here. Kill them or kill yourself I don't care if you get cornered but under no circumstance come between me and my kill I can handle myself and I don't want you to cheapen my victory. However big or small the game is."

Rina understood what he meant about cheapening ones victory. She felt the same. If someone came between her and a kill she had...well, they wouldn't really be in a good situation. She watched Jack, slowly reaching a standing position and moving closer to the walls, where she could easily climb up if need be.

Two. Jack mouthed. Two other people. Men, probably.

With the gun held steady, pointed at the ground, Rina quietly reached out and touched the wall, running her hand up until she found a groove that she could use as a handhold. Whatever was in here was full of blood lust. The acrid smell of fear pierced her senses.

"Be careful, Jack." she whispered lowly. "I don't like what I'm sensing..."

[Jack]

OOC: Sorry Tobias for jumping in but I feel like I have more to add to the thread.

"Be careful, Jack." "heh" Jack chuckled softly, as he looked at her before standing up. "Careful... I don't like that there's no thrill in it!" "I don't like what I'm sensing..." Jack pursed his lips at the thought of her words a smarter man would have crouched back down and questioned her on what she could sense but he wasn't a smart man by far and large. The animal stood up straight looking dead ahead a new lust for war raging within him, suddenly feeling as if he was drawn to a cause. If anything it was to impress his new friend but he wasn't going to let her know that. Although unbeknownst to him Rina would know from now until when ever she chose not to would know nearly everything about him.

Jack looked down at the doorway where the line separated one room from the other. Stepping over it he stared at the two men, he had caught the attention of the "victim" but to his knowledge not the vampire like man. That's when jack decided to open his mouth instead of Just running over there and hacking the men to pieces.

"Well, what do we have here. Bit early for Halloween mate" The hypocrisy was hilarious seeing as Jack was dressed as a mummy.

Jack outstretched his blade toward the vampire wannabe "These are my grounds, take your little friend and leave" he chuckled as he stared at the scared man, "You there, do you want to live?"

If the man began to plead for his life Jack would continue, "What, is in it for my effort in saving you." The man probably had friends and friends have loot, he wanted that loot. He had no idea that his friends had been killed but none the less that would only make looting their bodies easier if they were already dead. He had to act fast if they were alive, in Jack's mind that meant they would be searching for his friend. It was amazing what someone was willing to do, who they were willing to betray in order to save themselves.

What the male didn't know was that Jack was just as likely to kill this demon for fun, for sport. To him human life in general was of no worth, he had lost too many people to care about the insignificant. Why when such good men and women died do these vile creatures deserve the gift of life over his fallen comrades.

If no one missed them, if no one remembered those great brave warriors who would remember or miss people like these two. It infuriated him, Jack was on the verge of just charging right then and now. He didn't want to wait for the man's reply he was eager to kill!

[Tobias Ross]

OoC: It is alright. I understand the feeling.


IC: As the man opened his mouth to reply, the monster casually reached over and grabbed him by the front of the throat. The well dressed monster would tighten his grip around the throat of the frightened man and twist that same hand 180 degrees, ripping apart the muscle and cartilage in the man's throat with his incredibly strong grip. As the man fell to the ground dying, his last sight was the monster staring down at him as if judging his soul to Hell.

OoC: Back to my character's viewpoint. Lol

IC: Tobias looked down at he filth dying on he ground and kept all emotion from his face, though it blazed in eyes. The pure unadulterated rage at this thug that had not only attacked him, but committed acts that no civilized human being would ever do upon another of their own kind. As the final light died in the man's eyes before him, only then did Tobias acknowledge the other presence in the building that he had felt upon entering. There were two of them alive and one other that was dead by the smell of iron in the air.

The beast inside of him raged and screamed for release as it craved more bloodshed and battle. It didn't help that the there was a blade leveled at him. It enraged the beast all the more and it grew in it's fury. A small smile tugged at the edge of his lips as Tobias tried to decide in what manner to reach. With his throat still healing from the wound he had sustained defending a couple of people from the Crows, he couldn't answer as his voice box was still out of commission. He considered going for his knives, but fighting with them would have his skill in martial combat that he had developed going to disuse. He would wait to see what the two who were in this building would do.

[Rina Vade]

Oh, wow. Jack himself was dressed up as if he were the one parading around for Halloween.

No answer came.

Despite being behind him, Rina could picture in her minds eye what she heard to be the sound of ripping flesh. She cringed, but didn't waver in stance. Out of control... The thought entered her mind as the aura of death filled the air. One of the men had been killed. How, she didn't know, and didn't even WANT to know. There was something inside the other guy. It raged, red filling her vision when she tried to reach out with her own mind.

"Calm down." Rina forced her way past the red, her thoughts, if he could hear them, echoing in the man's mind. Beyond, it was black and cold. "If you can hear me, calm down. We don't need to be enemies." if this didn't work, she had no idea what would.

Her grip tightened in the handhold on the wall and the gun in her other hand just in case.

[Jack]

When the man didn't move Jack taunted again "Come now, frozen with fear?" It had taken him sometime to recognize who it was, it seemed it was that time of year where everyone had their reunions.

Jack however decided he would play along, the man didn't seem to be in right mind although neither was Jack. Both men were renowned during their periods of activity at #552 for their ability to go berserk. Jack was one of the few who had learned that art of tapping into your emotions and just letting it all go.

"Oh what? Cat got your tongue?" he snarled "Come... only death awaits your here"

He beckoned Tobias with his free hand while his right tightened around the hilt of his cleaver. Jack couldn't help but hold back his excitement, he wouldn't go for killing blows against his older mentor however he would try and beat him bloody.

[Tobias Ross]

OoC:I am going to take a few liberties if that is fine, Rina. If not, I will change the post.

As Tobias felt a mind connect to his, surprise was the first response felt by him and then amusement. The beast within him was stunned for a moment as well and ceased its rampage. Almost at the same time, both recovered and went onto different actions with the intruder. The beast howled and flew at the intruding mind to both attack it and escape into another body. It felt that too long it has been chained by Tobias and freedom by exit on the other side. Tobias wrapped his mind around the one that entered and became the shield against the beast inside of him. Amusement and calm radiated from his mind as he responded.
You have entered a dangerous battlefield, young one. A psychic, hmm? Been a while since I met one. I am not angry nor am I your enemy. Though that can quickly change if that knife is still going to be pointed in my direction. Tell your ally to stand down.

Looking over at the person talking big in front of him, Tobias gave him a look of boredom and sighed. He was tired of people talking big and being small fries.

[Rina Vade]

The moment that he heard her, Rina felt an entity fly at her, to try and enter her own body. Quickly, she threw up a mental sheild, bracing against it.

But the beast was held back by its own host.

He protected her with his own mind, the hint of amusement reaching her. "Yes," she replied. "I'm a psychic, and also an emipath. Hey! I'm not that young!" she pulled her mind away and moved toward Jack, reaching out and placing a steady hand on his arm. "Stand down. There is no need to fight. I've spoken mentally with him," she jerked her chin in the newcomer's direction. "He won't attack if you lay down your blade."

For some reason, Rina sensed that Jack would most likely protest. There was a connection between him and the other man. "Please," she said quietly. "I do not wish to see old friends fight."